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T. TERRELL & I. U. TRAVIS. Spool-Case forSewing-Maohines.

- 1 No. 225,437. Patented Mar. 9, 1880.

' %-ZZZZ% mm+am UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE,

THEODORE TERI tELL AND IRA U. TRAVIS, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

SPOOL-CASE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,437, dated March 9, 1880.

Application filed August 21, 1879. l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THEODORE TERRELL and IRA U. TRAVIS, both of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in. Spool- Cases for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a case for holding a number of spools of thread arranged in line lengthwise of the spools, and so constructed that the case itself may be placed upon the spool-spindle of a sewing-machine and thread drawn from any one of the spools contained therein with the same facility as if the spool itself were placed on the spindle, and to provide devices for conveniently holding the ends of the thread and for severing the same.

The invention consists in a spool-case adapted to contain a series of spools placed end to end, having a cap perforated to fit upon the spool-spindle of asewing-machine, and a longi tudinal slitfor the passage of thethreads, and provided with a series of thread holders and cutters arranged at intervals lengthwise of the case, whereby the thread ends of the spools not in use may beretained in convenient position for access when desired and the threads may be out without leaving an inconvenient length extended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side view of our improved case. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates the body of our improved case, here represented as of cylindrical form, slightly larger in diameter than the spools which it is to contain, and of a suflicient length to hold a number of spools of thread arranged in line lengthwise of the spools. It is shown as formed of a piece of sheet metal bent into the required form, and provided at each end with caps or covers B B, for preventing the spools from dropping out and also preserving the form of the body portion A.

G designates a transverse partition arranged at about the middle of the length of the cylinder, and serving to strengthen the same and prevent too great pressure upon the lower spools by those above. It also permits of the removal and insertion of spools at each end of the case without displacing all the spools contained therein.

The adjacent edges of the sheet from which the cylinder A is formed are represented in Figs. 1 and 3 as slightly separated, thereby forming a longitudinal slit, a, running through the entire length of the case, through which the thread from the several spools may be drawn.

In placing the spools in the case the ends of the threads may be drawn off some distance and held by the finger and thumb outside the case, so that they will be convenient of access.

For the purpose of securing the loose ends of the thread we have represented a series of catches and cutters of different kinds arranged near the slit a, and at intervals about equaling the medium length of spools, so that the ends of threads may be secured near their spools, respectively, and conveniently for access.

The cutters b consist simply of a lip formed in one'piece with the body, out on three sides and bent upward. The thread, when drawn under this lip, is held securely against slipping, and may be readily cut or broken.

cdesignates a projecting elastic finger, under which the thread maybe drawn and by which it may be cut; and d designates a catch and cutter composed of a disk of metal, about which the thread may be twisted. e designates two lips or flanges projecting from the case in close proximity, between which the thread is drawn and by which it is out.

In order to distinguish the threads of different sizes, the case may have marked upon it, in close proximity to each of the catches or cutters, the number of the thread passing through it, as represented in Fig. 1.

In the bottom cover,.B, is a hole, f, of sufficient size to pass over the spool-spindle of a sewing-machine, thus enabling the case itself to be placed on the spool-spindle and thread to be drawn from any spool with the same facility as if the spool were held upon said spindle.

The spools should be so placed in the case that the thread on alternate spools is wound in one direction, while that on intervening spools is wound in theother direction,in which case the drawing of thread from any spool will tighten the thread on adjoining spools.

By our invention we produce a spool-case which may be conveniently carried in the pocket, and which may itself be placed on the spool-spindle of a sewing-machine.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The spool-ease adapted to contain a series of spools placed end to end, having the cap B centrally perforated to fit over the spool-spindle of a sewii'lg-machine, and the longitudinal slit for the passage of threads, and provided with a series of thread holders and cutters ar- 15 ranged at intervals lengthwise of the case, substantially as described.

THEODORE TERRELL. IRA U. TRAVIS. Witnesses:

A. 0. Mom), I. G. DOWNING. 

